Replacing Body Parts

May 13, 2002

Suggestions have been made that the complete replacement of all body parts with more youthful components could increase longevity. Though possible in theory, it is highly improbable that this would ever become a practical strategy to extend length of life. Advances in cloning and embryonic stem cell technology may make the replacement of tissues and organs possible94,95,96,97,98,99 and will likely have an important positive impact on public health in the future through the treatment of age-related diseases and disorders. But replacing and reprogramming the brain that defines who we are as individuals is, in our view, more the subject of science fiction than science fact.

95Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine. Committee on the Biological and Biomedical Applications of Stem Cell Research, Board on Life Sciences National Research Council, Board on Neuroscience and Behavioral Health, Institute of Medicine. National Academy Press, 2002.